


Charm the Stars

by Loveandcoffeeandothersimplicities



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Anxiety, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:27:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25613575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loveandcoffeeandothersimplicities/pseuds/Loveandcoffeeandothersimplicities
Summary: Everlasting fire, that's what they were. Bughead
Relationships: Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones
Comments: 7
Kudos: 22





	1. Chapter 1

Jughead Jones hadn't known much happiness in his life, if any. There was a time, maybe when he was a small boy, that he could remember fleeting moments of sunshine in an otherwise never-ending cycle of rain. The sunshine came in the form of a golden-haired girl named Betty Cooper. She had been his best friend; the number one defender against his bullies. They had met one day at pre-school as he was being shoved into the sandbox by an unrelenting Chuck Clayton. This little girl had stood up, shouting, "hey!" before marching over to them and shoving Chuck so hard he fell into the sandbox himself.

"Pick on someone your own size, you knucklehead!" The little girl said before bending down and helping Jughead up. He looked at her as if she had said the most elegant of words and, to him, she had.

"Hi, I'm Betty and I like your hat!" Betty grinned, Jughead matching it a little.

"Jughead," he said, shyly. They were best friends almost immediately after that and didn't do anything without the other. That was, until Jughead's life got turned upside down the night his mom left after his dad went to prison for stabbing a guy. Jughead knew he couldn't protect Betty from his family; from him. So, he did the only thing he ever knew he could that would get her to understand that he was protecting her. He pulled away. Slowly at first, then as fast as the wind whipping around them in the night of a storm. He couldn't bare to see the look of pain in her eyes as he shut himself off completely. That was six years ago. Time moved on and Jughead was now at Southside High.

A bang on his door startled him out of his thoughts.

"What?" Jughead called.

Sweet Pea entered his trailer, shoving his backpack to the ground unceremoniously as he went to go pour himself a cup of coffee. Jughead was used to the routine by now; had been brothers with Sweet Pea since Freshman year and the taller Serpent had gotten into a scuffle with some idiots at their school.

"Southside shut down. Some idiot started a fire," he said, and Jughead groaned. He knew it was bound to happen eventually. Where there was Serpents, there was also Ghoulies. And that never mixed well. He nodded.

"I'm assuming we'll be joining the good ol' northsiders at Riverdale?" Jughead asked sardonically and Sweet Pea barked out a laugh.

"Fuck, you got it in one," he said. Jughead rolled his eyes. Shit. Not how he wanted his morning to start.

"When do we start?" Jughead sighed.

"This morning. Let's roll, Jones," Sweet Pea said, Jughead draining his coffee before following his friend out of his trailer and to their bikes.

XXX

Once at Riverdale High, Jughead took in the scene. Typical jocks were chasing skirts left and right, claiming their place on the food chain. Jughead rolled his eyes. Fucking idiots. He parked his bike, eyes still scanning the lot.

"Looking for the blonde?" Sweet Pea asked, and Jughead startled. He had, in a night of loneliness, told his brother about his childhood best friend. What she meant to him; how he had done what he did to protect her. Sweet Pea hadn't said anything, just clapped a hand on his shoulder as the two friends fell silent. Jughead huffed out a sigh.

"Wouldn't matter if I was," he muttered. "She needs to stay away from me."

Sweet Pea just nodded.

XXX

Jughead and the other Serpents were waiting outside of Weatherbee's office, expecting their tour soon.

"Sweet. Place looks like it's got a good cafeteria," Fangs said gleefully. Jughead just laughed, waiting to see who the tour guide was. Wasn't long before he heard a voice and felt his stomach bottom out.

"Hello, I'm Betty Cooper," the angelic voice said. But it wasn't right. Jughead, despite the years gone between them, had never forgot her voice. Had never forgot how she could only act happy around the right people, but he always saw through her. He lifted his head to take in her appearance and fucking shit. Were people supposed to be that thin? He shook his head as her eyes flickered to him, then away as if she had been reading his thoughts. "I'd like to officially welcome you to Riverdale High. Like I said, I'm Betty and any questions or concerns you have don't hesitate to come to me. I'll start the tour."

She led them down the hallways, pointing at random places and stating the history about them as Jughead's mind wander. It was a hand to his shoulder that brought him back.

"That your girl?" Sweet Pea whispered, and Jughead nodded once. "She always been that…"

"Thin?" Jughead supplied, shaking his head once.

"Looks bad," Sweet Pea muttered but before Jughead could say anything else on the matter, a face he had wanted to see just for the option to punch it came up to them.

"Well," Chuck Clayton drawled, wrapping his arm around Betty's waist and causing Jughead to stiffen. "What do we have here, baby?"

Baby.

Baby. Baby. Baby. Chuck fucking Clayton calling Betty Cooper baby. What. The. Fuck.

Betty's laugh brought Jughead back. "I told you I'd be showing the new students around, babe."

Chuck nodded, eyes searching through them before looking at Betty. "Don't take too long, babe. I need to see my favorite girl cheering me on at practice."

He kissed her and Jughead pushed back the snarl as he looked away. Betty watched him walk away for a moment before shaking her head slightly.

"Sorry, my boyfriend, Chuck," she said as an explanation. After that, the tour was over and Betty said her goodbyes, heading to her locker. Hesitating for only a moment, Jughead followed her, leaning against the locker next to hers'.

"Chuck Clayton, huh?" Jughead asked, picking at his nails.

"Don't see why it's a problem," Betty said calmly, eyes still looking inside of her locker.

"Maybe because I remember a little girl defending me against a bully. A bully named Chuck Clayton. Now, that little girl is dating him," Jughead said casually.

Betty straightened her spine, looked at him and narrowed her eyes. "That little girl is gone, Jughead. Died the night her best friend left her alone. Sorry to disappoint you, but you should be familiar with how that goes."

With that, she pivoted on her heel and walked away without another word, leaving Jughead to wonder how to even begin to right his wrongs.

Author's note: Yes. New one. Enjoy.


	2. Chapter 2

Jughead spent the rest of his morning going through the motions of going to his new classes and getting acclimated to what would be become his new routine while he let his mind wander to what Betty had said at her locker that morning. He couldn't begrudge her the honesty she had dealt him; she was right. He should be used to causing disappointment. He never wanted to be the reason she was disappointed but life fucking sucked when it came to giving people what they wanted. He knew that from firsthand experience; had caused him to push away the only person he had ever wanted. And now? Now he had to watch someone else get to have her.

Speaking of, he watched with narrowed eyes as Chuck's hand rested against Betty's lower back at their lunch table out in the courtyard. To an outsider, it'd look like Betty was fine with it, what with the smile on her face and the laughter in her eyes. But Jughead was well tuned in the art of reading people and knew from the tense draw of her shoulders she was, no matter how small in percentage, uncomfortable. Interesting, Betty. What would cause you to be uncomfortable by your dear boyfriend's hand on your back? Jughead was brought out of his musings by Fang's voice.

"Shit guys. I told you the food looked good," he said, taking a bite of his hamburger, paying no heed to the ketchup staining his cheek. Toni made a noise of disgust in the back of her throat as she handed him a napkin.

"Have some fucking manners, you Neanderthal," she grumbled. Jughead laughed as he locked eyes with a girl who was a sister more than anything else to him. She matched his laughter before her eyes looked towards someone making their way towards their table. Following her line of sight, Jughead looked up to spot a redhead with a smirk as devilish as the look in her eyes.

"Newcomers," she said. "Queen Blossom here."

Toni raised an eyebrow, folding her arms across her chest. "Queen Blossom?"

"Yes, you miscreant. Or, better known as Cheryl Blossom," she rolled her eyes. Toni smirked.

"Jason's sister," she commented, tone cool.

Jughead got ready to intervene between the two women once he saw Cheryl's hackles rise, but someone beat him to it. A blonde ponytailed someone.

"Cheryl, stop," Betty said gently, placing a hand on her shoulder. Great, Betty. Fantastic, really. Friends with Cheryl Blossom? Cheryl's eyes cut to her, narrowing for a minute, before her posture lost its rigidness.

"You're right, Cousin Betty," she said, looking back at the table. That caused Jughead to look at Betty, a silent question being spoken. Cousin? Her slight nod of head gave him the answer he needed and that was a new development in his childhood best friend he hadn't seen coming. Cheryl continued. "As the captain of the Vixens and co-president of student council, I felt it necessary to introduce myself."

Betty smiled. "Cher and I run student council together and are always looking for more members. If any of you feel interested in joining, just come to one of us."

"Don't forget that little newspaper you revived last year, cousin dearest," Cheryl said, picking at her nails in boredom. Jughead's ears perked up.

"Newspaper?" Jughead asked, and Betty looked at him before looking away.

"Mhm. Blue and Gold," she said. "A little side project. It's nothing really."

Cheryl scoffed. "Don't sell yourself short, Betty Bee. Weatherbee had the fortune of you being the one to revive it. I hate journalism as much as the next person but even I cannot deny your talent."

It was said casually but Betty still smiled, looking a little embarrassed at the praise. That told Jughead she still wasn't comfortable receiving compliments. He felt his heart warm at her.

"Got room for another writer and photographer?" Jughead asked, nodding his head at himself and Toni. Betty looked at them for a moment, taking in Toni's hopeful eyes and Jughead's eager smile, before nodding her head.

"Sure," she replied lightly. "I'll just need to see a copy of your work, Jughead, and some of your photos, Toni. Not an audition process or anything, I promise. I just need to see where best to start you guys."

Jughead exhaled, knowing it was as good as it'd get right now. And it placed him at least in her graces, so he'd take it. Sharing a look with Toni, he nodded.

"When do you want us, boss?" Jughead asked.

"Don't call me that," Betty said sharply, before curbing her tone. Then, "this afternoon is fine. Be at the office after school, please."

With that, her and Cheryl walked off, leaving Jughead to stare after her.

"Blondie is interesting," Toni said, and Jughead shrugged, not commenting on her statement. "Redhead is too."

Jughead shook his head. "Always thinking with your vagina, T."

"Girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do," she shrugged.

"She even bi?" Jughead wondered.

"Oh, yeah, definitely," Toni replied. "Gaydar pinged a mile away."

XXX

Jughead and Toni showed up at the Blue and Gold office after school, camera in tow for Toni. Knocking on the door, they waited until it opened, revealing Betty. She looked slightly unsure of something for a moment before her eye's widened and she glanced down at her watch.

"Shit!" She cursed underneath her breath.

"Who is it, Betty?" Came the ever-famous drawl of Chuck, and Jughead bit back the urge to growl. Biting her lip, Betty hesitated for a moment, seemingly debating something, before nodding her head.

"Uh, a couple of students who are interested in joining the Blue and Gold," she replied. She opened the door further, waving Jughead and Toni inside the room, muttering something about losing track of the time. Jughead really didn't want to know why as he stepped into the room, eyes landing on Clayton easily. He was leaning against a desk, looking at the two Southsiders.

"Really, Betty? Them?" Chuck asked, not even trying to hide his aversion. Jughead smirked.

"Problem, Clayton?" Jughead asked casually. Narrowing his eyes, Chuck took a step forward, but Betty stepped in between the two them, shaking her head.

"Not here, Chuck. You're supposed to play this Friday. Getting suspended from the game because of a fight is stupid," she said. Chuck turned to look at her, before nodding.

"Yeah, you're right. I'll see you for dinner with the parents," he said, and Betty nodded, kissing his cheek.

"I'll see you then," she murmured, watching as he walked away. Jughead watched her, noticing as she seemed to deflate a bit. In relief? Seemed like it. She turned to him and Toni, clearing her throat.

"So, paper from you and pictures from you, please," she said, pointing at Jughead and Toni in turn. Jughead nodded, handing over his last article he wrote for the Red and Black before his old school was closed, Toni doing the same with her photos. Betty looked through the photos first, nodding her head impressively. Out of the corner of his eye, Jughead saw Toni smile at the impression she made.

Then, Betty looked over his article, a small smile tugging at her lips.

"Knew you'd be a good writer," she said quietly.

"Yeah, stories always came easy enough to me," Jughead said, shoving his hands inside of his pockets. Betty blinked, looking up as she realized she had actually spoken out loud.

"Oh, uh," she cleared her throat, nodding her head. "Yeah." She hummed as she gave him his article back before clasping her hands together. "So, you're both talented, that much is clear. Currently, there's not a lot to write about but I am working on something happening with Dilton Doiley and his crew." She shrugged. "If you guys are interested in unearthing a mystery about the Scouts, I'd be happy to have it."

Jughead and Toni looked at each other, before nodding.

"We're in. But do let us know when there's another mystery, will you?" Jughead teased.

For a moment, Betty looked away, eyes looking a bit guilty, before they cleared, and she nodded.

"Will do," she murmured.

Looking once more at Toni, Jughead realized she was thinking the same thing. There was another mystery. And it just so seemed to be involving the Hitchcock blonde. Well, shit just got interesting.


End file.
